The Health Education at Loyola committee, or HEAL, and the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living welcome Victor DeNoble, Ph.D., to Loyola to present “What the tobacco industry doesn’t want you to know” on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m., in the St. Charles Room of the Danna Student Center. The lecture is free and open to the public. Coffee and King Cake will be served.

DeNoble, who is a former Philip Morris researcher, became the first “whistleblower” against the tobacco industry in 1994. He served as a key witness in the federal government’s case against the industry, testifying before Congress, the FDA and former Vice President Al Gore’s Tobacco Settlement Committee.

DeNoble will provide a unique look inside the tobacco industry from a scientific, ethical and legal perspective. He will tell the story behind his groundbreaking nicotine research program, the patented creation of a cigarette that reduced regular cigarette toxins by 80 percent, and what he says were the industry’s attempt to cover up his findings.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 28 percent of men and 20.7 percent of women between the ages of 18–24 say they smoke every day or some days, the highest percentage among all age groups. The CDC also reported that smoking-related deaths claim the lives of approximately 6,400 Louisianians each year, and secondhand smoke exposure is associated with the deaths of approximately 1,000 Louisianians annually.

This event is made possible by a grant from Tobacco Free Living. For more information, contact Alicia Bourque or Andrew Crawford at (504) 865-3835.